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Grizzlies top Hornets to stay in playoff hunt

Apr 2, 2011 - 4:12 AM New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - Zach Randolph posted 28 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and the Memphis Grizzlies picked up a big victory, 93-81, against the Hornets at New Orleans Arena.

Tony Allen netted 17 points, while O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol chipped in 13 points apiece for the Grizzlies, who strengthened their playoff chances by pulling even with the Hornets for seventh place in the Western Conference standings. The ninth-place Houston Rockets trail both teams by three games.

Carl Landry paced New Orleans with 19 points, but Chris Paul was held to five on 2-of-8 shooting in the loss, the team's second in three games.

"We got down very quickly and just didn't have an answer. We made a run here and there, but couldn't put a good run together," Paul said.

The Grizzlies came into the game on a 5-1 stretch and used a 10-0 run in the first quarter to take control of Friday's important tilt.

Sam Young's pull-up jumper yielded a 17-6 lead with less than four minutes left in the opening stanza, and Mayo beat the buzzer with a three-pointer for a 23-12 cushion.

Gasol, who also pulled down 10 rebounds, added his own buzzer-beating three in the second for a 51-38 edge at the break. It was hardly pretty, as the 7- foot-1 center spun and launched a shot while falling out of bounds, banking it in for his third three-pointer of the season.

Marco Belinelli pulled the hosts within 59-53 with a three-pointer near the midway point of the third, but Memphis responded with an 11-1 run, going up by 16 on Allen's reverse layup.

The margin was 71-61 heading to the fourth and was double digits through most of the final stanza.

"We were ready for them today," Allen said. "I just like how we closed it out and played it hard for 48 minutes."

Game Notes

These two teams will also meet in Memphis on April 10...Mike Conley had 10 points and seven assists for the Grizzlies, who held a commanding 40-26 edge on the glass...Paul also dished out 13 assists.